Twisted Crows

Spanish-infused Short Stories

Fiction - Anthology
233 Pages
Reviewed on 03/21/2023
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Born in 1978 in Caracas, Venezuela, Will Candurí currently resides in Michigan, United States. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Carabobo, Venezuela, and a Master of Science in Administration and Leadership from Central Michigan University, USA. He is also a certified Performance Coach from Performance Coach University and holds the titles of Mentor Writer and Expert Professional Mentor from the Red Global de Mentores.

His debut work, "Ensalada de Cuervos," became a bestseller in 2021 and received an Honorable Mention at the International Latino Book Awards (ILBA, 2023), in the category: The Rudolfo Anaya Best Latino Focused Fiction Book Award. Among his other successes are the anthology "Siempre Joven," "El Misterio de la Garra del Oso," and "Farewell, Oviedo." Will has been recognized as a finalist in the Independent Published Book Award (IPPY, 2023) with his work "Twisted Crows," which represents a translation into English of a significant portion of his written oeuvre.

His versatile and creatively rich writing style, along with his ability to craft compelling settings and characters, as well as his unique and distinctive narrative tone, make Will Candurí one of the most renowned emerging contemporary authors in Latin America.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite

What happens when the natural becomes unnatural? How does one react to an event that you know never really happened but everyone seems to remember it? Baffled? Disturbed? Or simply shocked to your core. Read on as a reporter gets a front seat in his abduction and the extent to which a slighted nobleman will go to exact retribution on the loved ones that wronged him. Witness the new face of fear as this collection of twenty-something folk tales of Hispanic origin is brought to life in vivid color and with brutal efficiency. Your mind will be teased and your resolve will be tested as you delve into the unusual works of Will Canduri in this delightfully dark collection titled Twisted Crows.

The fear of the unknown takes on a different appearance in this collection of twenty-eight of the weirdest short stories I have ever come across. The storylines are varied, covering the vast array of possibilities within the human mind, such as revenge, romance, and betrayal, to spawn riveting encounters that could only have come out of the darkest recesses of the creative genius that is Will Canduri. The theme of this collection may not be completely dark but the way Canduri uses his enterprisingly unique approach to storytelling to bring the characters in his stories to life is nothing short of breathtaking. His use of innocuous commentary and dark humor will keep you looking over your shoulder to the very end. Delightful to read, Twisted Crows is a notch above the rest in its genre. Horror never looked finer.

Maria Victoria Beltran

Twisted Crows by Will Canduri is an anthology of Spanish-infused stories that evokes the rich culture and tradition of its time. Canduri takes you on a journey of mystery, action, modernism, and different twists and turns that will leave you wanting more. Spanning different genres, the stories are bold and thought-provoking. It is filled with plenty of drama, humor, and action featuring stories of people from different walks of life. Suspense and anticipation in Rot in Hell, Ramón to Ludovico, and even Lanky’s Helmet are just a few of the stories that will linger in your mind. Imagination breaks loose in this wild adventure of comedy, tragedy, and the beauty of life, cleverly divided into Crow Chapters.

Twisted Crows by Will Canduri is like a journey through time as you slowly begin to immerse yourself in the world he has created. While it is a collection of short stories, Canduri creates a world that is tangible and realistic, each story unique in the way they tell their stories. I am saying their because I can see each story in the anthology as its character. Having published before and this book being his third, Canduri has proven to have a consistent structure in writing, allowing for a balance between his rich characters and the stories themselves. Some of them are fairly straightforward in their narrative but leave you with a lingering feeling of wanting more. Stories like Rot In Hell and Ludovico feel dark and almost cinematic. Creepy, enchanting, colorful, and full of life is how I would describe Canduri’s work. Twisted Crows is an impressive addition to his published works and this one is sure to catch the attention of those looking for a captivating and thought-provoking read.

Bernadette Longu

Twisted Crows by Will Canduri is an interesting collection of short stories about unexplained things that happen in various people's lives. The author touches on the supernatural and the inexplicable as the book progresses. The reader’s attention is caught from the very beginning and the book is hard to put down as they want to find out what else is in store.

Twisted Crows has many characters but, somehow, they each in their own way take the reader by the hand and lead them down the paths that twist and turn throughout the stories. Obviously, the reader understands that some of these stories have been translated from Spanish although there are those which are in English. Still, the translation has been done so well that unless the reader is aware of it, this does not come across as anything but English short stories written about various Latin countries.

Twisted Crows by Will Canduri is well worth reading. Once the reader starts, they will dip into this book from time to time as they absorb and understand the hidden message behind each story. The author knows how to hold the reader's attention, using their curiosity to his advantage. The illustrations by Megan Herzart are wonderful and will remind you of paintings that you may have seen on your travels or in museums. These illustrations also add to the mystery of each story but the reader must read to the end before fully understanding why this collection of tales works so well. Thank you for a most delightful book, Will. I really enjoyed reading it and will be recommending it to family and friends.

Jessica Barbosa

Twisted Crows is a diverse compilation of Spanish-infused short stories by Will Canduri, translated by Andrea Labinger, and illustrated by Megan Herzart. Twenty-eight stories are featured which include a time-traveling professor of the History of Ancient Earth department; a romantic and heartrending take on a rain cloud; the day in the life of a man collecting cans with a shopping cart he names Olivia; and a lone passenger for Bloowish Airlines Flight 1039 to Oslo. Immerse yourself in this unique collection featuring diverse and remarkable characters set in different genres and places.

Will Canduri’s creativity in Twisted Crows took me on many exciting and, sometimes, heartrending adventures. The themes of the collection were varied but they were also fun to immerse myself in. With each short story, a new world and new characters are introduced. It felt like I was traveling to various dimensions as I read through each of them. I never knew what I was going to get next! The stories are brief but distinctive. I was amazed by the depth of emotion and detail Canduri can portray with stories that are only a page or two in length. Canduri's stories offer glimpses of a character’s life and feelings, or tales that start normally but end with a twist. The unpredictability and suspenseful elements of the various tales added to the charm. It was hard to put it down. The clear-cut, black-and-white illustrations by Megan Herzart also helped me visualize the storyline more easily. The sketches provided before each chapter were simple and to the point. The translation by Andrea Labinger was also easy to follow and it retained the collection’s authenticity, culture, and emotional depth. This was a suspenseful and enthralling reading adventure. Excellent work!

Cloie Belle Daffon

Madam Lingerie, Conversation of Tears, and Letters in the Darkness are only some of the 28 crows or short stories to be found in the anthology Twisted Crows by Will Canduri. The length of each story varies. Some are only a few pages long while others span twenty pages. This short story collection features various characters, each with their own story to tell and each ready to astound us with twists most would not expect. Immerse yourself in suspenseful mystery and more to be found in this contemporary collection.

Will Canduri’s collection of short stories certainly kept me on my toes. Just when I thought I had a story figured out, there would be an unexpected twist that would leave me surprised. Short but captivating, the collection in Twisted Crows is like opening a mystery box; you never know what type of story you will get unless you read it. I could not help but shiver in anticipation with each story I finished. What could happen next? How could he have survived? Why did he do that? Will I cry? Will I laugh? It had my attention from start to finish.

The illustrations by Megan Herzart are like clues to the story. Every chapter has a representative illustration which only stirs up the intrigue. The narrative is varied depending on the plot, with most handled in the first-person narrative which made me feel as though I was a part of the events. Others are told in the third-person point of view which made me feel like I was watching the story unfold from a neutral point of view. Overall, this is a well-composed, Spanish-infused short story collection that entranced me with its varying genres and clever twists. Great job!